The Technion’s story has been intertwined with Israel’s for more than a century, from laying the foundations for a new nation to shaping its future.
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We see how our dollars keep the Technion strong and, in turn, how the Technion keeps the country strong.”
Ellen Kaplan
Through their individual retirement account (IRA), Ellen and Robert Kaplan are supporting Technion graduate students today while planning for even greater support in the future. The couple, who live in Lexington, Mass., use annual distributions from their IRA to fund the Robert & Ellen Kaplan Doctoral Fellowship, which provides critical support to Technion graduate students across many academic disciplines.
They have also made the American Technion Society (ATS) a partial beneficiary of their IRA so that after their lifetimes, a portion of the retirement fund’s balance will provide an endowment for larger and permanent support to Technion graduate students. Bob explained the Kaplans’ motivations for using the IRA to give: “We asked ourselves, ‘Where do we want our retirement savings to go after we are gone?’ If we leave the IRA to our children, it could be taxed up to 65%. With this gift, we ensure that 100 cents on the dollar go to Technion.”
Bob and Ellen have seen how the University’s programs in aerospace engineering and cybersecurity advance Israel’s safety and security. They credit Technion alumni — particularly those in high-tech fields — for driving Israel’s status as the Startup Nation and bringing prosperity to Israel’s people.
As the Technion commemorates its centennial year, the couple view their support as an investment in the century to come. The Robert & Ellen Kaplan Endowed Fellowship will provide Technion leadership with critical resources to recruit the brightest minds to its doctoral programs and nurture their scientific and technical achievements.
The Kaplans themselves appreciate the distinction that comes with endowed university positions. Bob was the Marvin Bower Professor of Leadership Development at Harvard Business School, where he educated future and current business leaders and developed several seminal management innovations.
Like many planned giving donors whose gifts will have an impact after their lifetimes, the Kaplans think of their philanthropy in terms of legacy. They hope their legacy gift will help the Technion continue inventing technologies of global importance — in medicine, high tech, life sciences, and energy — and thereby strengthen Israel.
“It feels good to know we’re supporting Israel, a country which is so important to us personally,” said Ellen. “We see how our dollars keep the Technion strong and, in turn, how the Technion keeps the country strong.”